End of the season 800/1600 workouts

1600m:

Week 1: 3-4 x (600m @ race pace, 200m jog, 400m @ 102% race pace, 200m jog, 200m @ 104% race pace) w/ 3 min rest

example: if goal race pace were 75 sec/400m, then

100% race pace for 600m = 1:53

102% race pace for 400m = 73 sec.

104% race pace for 200m = 35 sec

so it would go

3 x (600m @ 1:53, 200m jog, 400m @ 73, 200m jog, 200m @ 35 sec) then 3 minutes off

Week 2: 6-8 x 300m @ 102% race pace w/ 200m jog or 45 sec. rest

example: if goal race pace were 75 sec/400m, then this workout would look like

6-8 x 300m @ 55 sec. w/ 200m jog or 45 sec. rest

Week 3: 2 x (400m @ 102% race pace, 200m jog, 200m @ 104% race pace, 200m jog, 400m @ 102% race pace, 200m @ 104% race pace) w/ 3 minutes rest

example: 2 x (400m @ 73, 200m jog, 200m @ 35, 200m jog, 400m @ 73, 200m jog, 200m @ 35, 200m jog) w/ 3 minutes rest

Week 4: Touch-up and refining:

6 x 200m @ 38-34 seconds w/ 300m jog or 45 sec. rest

like 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 34

I think the 800m can be a tricky business, but I'll give it a shot:

Week 1:

1-2 x (400m-300m-200m-100m-200m-300m-400m) @ 98-104-98% goal 800m pace w/ equal rest

example: 1-2 x (62, 46, 29, 14, 28, 45, 61)

Week 2:

3 x (400m @ 96% goal 800m pace, 60 sec. rest, 300m @ 100% goal 800m pace, 45 sec. rest, 200m @ 104% goal 800m pace) w/ 3-4 minutes rest

example: if goal 800m pace were 60 sec/400m, then

3-4 x (400m @ 63 seconds, 60 sec. rest, 300m @ 45 seconds, 45 seconds rest, 200m @ 28/29 seconds) w/ 3-4 minutes rest

63, 45, 29

63, 45, 29

62, 45, 28

Week 3:

3-4 x (300m @ 100% goal pace, 200m jog, 200m @ 102% goal pace, 100m jog, 100m @ 105% goal pace) w/ 2 min. rest

45, 29, 14

45, 28, 14

45, 28, 14

Week 4:

1 x :

200m-150m-100m all @ 104% goal pace, 1-3 min recoveries

100m-200m-300m all @ 102% goal pace, 1-3 min recoveries

200m-150m-100m all @ 104% goal pace, 1-3 min recoveries

I don't know, what do you think?

Thanks, that was an outstanding post.

I like that everything is within 4% of race pace, yet mulitple paces within each workout.

The volume will even fit with what my kids have done this year,

thanks again

I had something vaguely similar in mind for the 1600/800 kids:

4 week progression:

2x600- date 1600 pace

2x500- 1600 goal pace

2x400- date 800 pace

2x300- 800 goal pace

2x200- 1 sec faster than 800 goal pace

2x500- 1sec/400 faster than 1600 goal pace

2x400- 800 goal pace

2x300- 1 sec/200 faster than 800 goal pace

2x200- 400 pace

2x150- relaxed sprinting

2x400- 1 sec faster than 800 goal pace

2x300- 1 sec faster/200 than 800 goal pace

2x200- 1 sec faster/200 than 800 goal pace

2x150- relaxed sprinting

2x100- acceleration to 400 pace

1x400- 800 goal pace

1x300- 800 goal pace

1x200- 800 goal pace

1x150- 800 goal pace

1x100- 800 goal pace

Do these as sets (except the last week) with shortish recovery (but not too short) between reps and longer recovery between sets to work on race pace economy.

Good posts. I have one question. Do you only plan on doing one WO a week? If so what would the rest of the week look like? I think it is important to look at the whole of the next 4 weeks not just one specific WO per week.

Monday: Workout

Tuesday: Easy 40-45 min run

Wednesday: light threshold (3x1000 or so) +4x200

Thursday: Easy 30 min + light strides

Friday: Easy 20 min

Saturday: Race